The Manly Warringah Sea Eagles and the Blacktown Workers Junior Rugby League Football Club Inc. have used the successful blue print of other NRL Clubs in forming a joint venture between the clubs to participate in the Intrust NSW Cup competition for 2017.

Both Clubs are respectful of the process and protocol of both the NSWRL and the Blacktown Workers Group Board and are confident and hopeful that approval and support will be given by both parties for the 4 year association to commence from 2017.

The team will be known as the Blacktown Workers Sea Eagles and will be coached by current Blacktown Workers Ron Massey Cup Coach Pat Weisner.

The Manly Warringah Sea Eagles have always wanted to establish a relationship at the strongest level below the NRL and this arrangement provides that opportunity.

The Sea Eagles were highly successful several seasons ago with the Sunshine Coast in Queensland. The arrangement with Blacktown Workers will be a similar arrangement and put the Sea Eagles on the same level as South Sydney with North Sydney, Canberra with Mounties, Melbourne Storm with the Sunshine Coast, Parramatta with Wentworthville and Cronulla with Newtown.

The Manly Sea Eagles are adamant there will be no raid on Blacktown Workers Juniors but are delighted that their players will have a pathway to the NRL.

Blacktown Workers have been one of three feeder clubs to Penrith Panthers, both Manly and Blacktown Workers have received full support from Panthers in the establishment of the Joint Venture.

Keith Cochran, President of Blacktown Workers Junior Rugby League Incorporated which was formed in 1964 has always wanted to play at the highest level possible. Keith stated "This gives us a rare opportunity for our players to play with and against the very best available at our home ground H.E. Laybutt Field".

"It will be a great boost for rugby league in the district to have players with NRL experience training and playing with our locally grown products".

"Manly is an iconic club and the most successful of the modern era. To link with them is an opportunity too good to miss".

Phil Gould, General Manager Football at Panthers has been across the JV and has been supportive.

Joe Kelly, Manly Warringah Sea Eagles CEO stated "This is an opportunity for the Sea Eagles to be bought into line with other NRL Clubs who have established similar joint ventures with supportive feeder clubs to bring rugby league to grass roots areas.

"Blacktown Workers having a 52 year history now get the opportunity to compete at the very best level of competition outside of the NRL in partnership with the Sea Eagles. This should not be taken as a shunning of our local juniors or an attempt to take players out of the Blacktown area in great numbers in fact it is the opposite. This will encourage players to try and find a pathway to fulfilling every players dream of playing NRL".

Expect the home side, with their season on the line, to get 'up' for this clash – with the likes of Isaac John, Pita Godinet, Luke Burgess and Feleti Mateo in their side, there's no room for excuses either.

If the Sea Eagles are any chance of featuring in the finals this season, they need to win this one. At present they are four wins outside the top eight, but they have a game in hand – they'll experience a four-day turnaround, with a Round 13 make-up game to be played on Wednesday against Newcastle at Brookvale.

The Bears, meanwhile, need to consolidate their spot in the top eight. They currently sit in eighth, but have Wenty and Canterbury snapping at their heels.

Thanks for this info, it's great that it's being broadcast on Triple H - I'll be listening.

Manly has dropped out of the NSW Cup before - in both 2009 and 2010, Manly's feeder side was the Sunshine Coast Sea Eagles (a relationship with the Sunshine Coast Falcons) in Queensland - so it might not be the last ever time that North Sydney plays Manly.

This link brought up an error message, but www.triplehfm.com.au worked fine. To listen online, click the arrow at the top of the page. I don't know what time they're crossing to Brooky, but the music is playing fine just now.

I'm listening to the call on Triple H - described as a special Saturday edition of "Sunday Live". I'm also following the NSWRL match centre and the tweets from Manly-Warringah. North Sydney is not tweeting this game. Manly's tweets were pretty frequent but stopped after a Manly player was stretchered off - I assume the tweeter is an official of some sort and was otherwise engaged. NS scored three tries in this period, one of which was set up following a 40m break by Jack Gosiewski and a flying leap over two defenders by Michael Oldfield.

Unfortunately, only a small crowd at Brookvale Oval - 100 was the first estimate, quickly corrected to maybe 200. Conditions are windy as - almost a gale force norwester.

I've heard 12 of the starting side called, plus FJ Muala. However, the NSWRL match centre only lists one interchange - Logan Houghton on for Cameron Murray at the 7 minute mark.

After a pretty even start, which saw NS trailing 6-4 at one stage, North Sydney has run up five try first half to lead 24-6 at the break. The wind is making the kicking difficult, with only 2 of NS's tries converted. Levido has had to get people to hold the ball for him as it keeps blowing off the tee.

There is some confusion about who scored the tries - both Triple H and the Manly twitter feed have given Murphy a hat trick, the NSWRL live stream gives him only one. Because of this, I haven't listed names below.

A great second half from the Bears. Manly pulled the score back to 24-12 eight minutes in but after that, it was all red and black, apart from a late consolation try to the Sea Eagles. The final score was 32-18 - the score makes it look closer than it really was, but Eli Levido had a terrible day with his goal kicking, converting only 2 from 7, having to contend with a gale force wind. Manly got 3 from 3, but its kicks were all from close in.

The confusion with the try scorers didn't get sorted out, although when Ed Murphy was interviewed after the game and congratulated for his four tries, he said he scored only two. The NSWRL match centre lists NS's try scorers as:

This list is a bit all over the place. Oldfield's was the third or fourth try, and Murphy scored just before half time. The one credited to him in the 27th minute was the first try of the game - it was marked as "27m" from when it was posted. The one credited to him in the 53m was scored after the one that Miski supposedly got in the 63rd. The match centre's list of the interchanges is a bit awry as well. Jamel Hunt is listed as coming off in the 32nd minute, although there's no indication of when he went on (he started on the bench).

2nd Half Tweets
4:00 We are back underway for the second half here at Brookvale Oval. The Bears are leading 24-6.

4:08 Jamil Hopoate grabs his 2nd try of the afternoon. Just what the Sea Eagles needed. 24-10, KTC. (Just before this, the commentators said that NS should have got a penalty for a Manly player interfering in the play the ball; instead the ref ruled a knock on with a Manly scrum feed.)

4:13 The Bears are over the try line but they are held up. (This was Adam Miski.)

4:15 Liam Knight has been sin binned. 15 minutes played in the second half.

4:16 Abbas Miski is over for the Bears as they storm out to a 28-12 lead. The extra man paying off for the visitors.

4:23 Concerns here for Isaac John as he leaves the field on a stretcher. (Two stretcher cases in one game isn't good to see - play was stopped for a few minutes in this case. The player's head collided with a hip while he was making a tackle.)

4:31 Ed Murphy has grabbed his 4th try of the afternoon. Right in the corner that one. 32-12, KTC.

4:31 Liam Knight is back on the field for the Sea Eagles.

4:32 Fancy some Wednesday night footy at Brookvale Oval? Manly versus Newcastle in a catch up game, 6pm kick-off, in @IntrustSuperPrm (Bit of a plug, but included to included to indicate that the three games postponed from Round 13 are starting to get played.)

4:44 HAT-TRICK! Jamil Hopoate palms off one Bears player to race through and score for the Sea Eagles. 32-16, KTC.

4:47 FULL TIME! The North Sydney Bears have run out 32-18 winners here at Brookvale Oval in the #IntrustSuperPremiership

The North Sydney Bears easily defeated a disappointing Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles 32-18 in the 'Northern Derby' at Brookvale Oval this afternoon to keep their place in the Intrust Super Premiership NSW top eight.

The loss was made worse for the Sea Eagles as they lost both halves – Isaac John in his comeback game and skipper Pita Godinet – to serious concussion and neck injuries that saw both playmakers stretchered off from their injuries and take no further part in the match.

Both John and Godinet will almost certainly miss Manly's catch up game against Newcastle at Brookvale Oval on Wednesday night as a result.

After a bright attacking start for Manly came up empty, the Bears opened the scoring when fullback Latrell Schaumkel crossed in the seventh minute from close range. Eli Levido converted and Norths led 6-0.

Levido extended the lead when he scored four minutes later through poor Manly goal line defence. The halfback's conversion double the Bears lead to 12-0.

When Bears second-rower Jack Gosiewski burst through three tackles wide out in the 15th minute, the Bears looked to ready to rack up a cricket score at 16-0.

Prodigal son Jamil Hopoate ran a nice angle off a Godinet pass to score under the posts in the 19th minute to put Manly on the board at 16-6 with Dylan Kelly's conversion.

Shortly after Hopoate's try, Godinet then went down with his neck injury from a solid tackle after passing to his support players. This set Manly right back on their heels.

The Bears took full advantage in the 27th minute when centre Michael Oldfield revived memories of past Manly glories when he beautifully leapt up for a Levido cross kick to mark in two hands and score to extend the Norths lead to 20-6.

Bears skipper Ed Murphy then burst through more token Manly goal line defence in the next set from the restart to give Norths a commanding 24-6 lead at the break.

Hopoate got Manly off to the best possible start when he bagged his second try in Manly's first real attack of the second half to bring the Sea Eagles within striking distance at 24-12 with Kelly's conversion.

That was as close as Manly got for the rest of the day as Norths then made the most of Manly turnovers.

Murphy got his second try in the corner in the 53rd minute from the set after Manly winger Clint McGuire dropped a high bomb for 28-12.

Then John went down with concussion when he got knocked out making the first tackle from the restart set to see him take no part.

This was too much for the frustrated Sea Eagles to bear and prop Liam Knight was sin binned by referee Liam Nicholls for dissent,

From the ensuing penalty, Bears winger Abbas Miski made sure of the two competition points with an easy try in the corner for 32-12. Levido again missed the conversion – indeed he missed his his last five shots to finish with only two from seven with the boot.

Hopoate completed his hat-trick of tries with nine minutes left to get one last consolation for the Sea Eagles and close the scoring at 32-18 with Kelly's conversion.

Manly back up to play Newcastle in their catch up game against Newcastle at Brookvale Oval on Wednesday Night at 6:00pm, while the Bears travel to Morrie Breen Oval next Sunday to take on the Wyong Roos in their next assignment.

In a very tough afternoon for the home side, the Sea Eagles saw halves Pita Godinet (neck) and Isaac John (concussion) stretchered off through injury. Both did not return. Manly lock Jamil Hopoate scored a hat-trick.

The Sea Eagles enjoyed a wealth of possession in the opening seven minutes through consecutive penalties and a repeat set but it was to no avail as the Bears defence held firm.

It was the Bears who opened the scoring through a try to centre and captain Ed Murphy for a 4-0 lead after 14 minutes.

The Sea Eagles drew level three minutes later when lock Jamil Hopoate scored under the posts. Second-rower Dylan Kelly converted for a 6-4 lead.

Norths then went to a 20-6 lead after three quick tries to full-back Latrell Schaumkel, winger Abbas Miski and a second to Murphy after 33 minutes.

Murphy then grabbed his third try of the game with a try right on half-time to give the Bears a 24-6 lead at the break.

Second Half’

The Sea Eagles started the second half off well with a second try to Hopoate off a good offload by Rhys Armstrong. Kelly converted to leave Manly trailing 24-12 after 50 minutes.

Manly were then left a man short for 10 minutes in the 55th minute when Liam Knight was sent to the sin bin.

Norths capitalised on the extra room when Miski scored his second try a minute later for a 28-12 lead.

The Sea Eagles then lost John with concussion. Murphy grabbed his fourth try when he dived over in the right corner for a 32-12 lead after 65 minutes.

Hopoate then scored his third try when he brushed off a defender to score near the posts. Kelly converted for a 32-18 scoreline.

The loss leaves the Sea Eagles in second last place on 12 points,

Manly will play the bottom place Newcastle at Brookvale Oval next Wednesday night at 6pm in a catch up match in the Intrust Super Premiership.

Intrust Super Premiership NSW: Jack Gosiewski. The North Sydney backrower made his return from injury in the Bears’ 32-18 win over Manly on Saturday. The former NYC captain broke through three tackles on the edge to score a try for the Bears. The 24-year-old made his NRL debut for South Sydney in round 10 and pushing for a recall to the top squad following his efforts.